In a New York Times opinion piece this May, author Jonathan Safran Foer makes the case for the end of meat consumption as we know it. Foer argues the coronavirus pandemic has revealed what many experts already knew to be true: "We cannot protect our environment while continuing to eat meat regularly." Still, many responded to Foer's article saying that moderation is the answer. While some acquiesce that Americans should reduce their meat consumption, others refuse to give up meat whatsoever. Nevertheless, Foer says the pandemic and its impact on meat processing reveals a populace prioritizing animal protein over all else. Is it time to put an end to meat-eating?

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Foer makes his argument clear at the start of his New York Times opinion piece. He says to readers if they truly care about the working poor and racial justice, they will stop eating animals—a challenge catching many readers off gaurd. In making his argument, Foer reminds readers:

Animal agriculture is now recognized as a leading cause of global warming.

He also argues the country's dependence on meat increases the possibility of future pandemics:

We cannot protect against pandemics while continuing to eat meat regularly. Much attention has been paid to wet markets, but factory farms, specifically poultry farms, are a more important breeding ground for pandemics. Further, the C.D.C. reports that three out of four new or emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic — the result of our broken relationship with animals.

Foer is no stranger to the popular arguments against bringing meat consumption to an end. First, he addresses the conception that humans need animal protein to lead healthy lives. Per the New York Times:

The corporations that speak in their name while exploiting them will. There are fewer American farmers today than there were during the Civil War, despite America’s population being nearly 11 times greater. This is not an accident, but a business model.

Finally, he addresses concerns about equity and access:

Isn’t a movement away from meat elitist? No.

A 2015 study found that a vegetarian diet is $750 a year cheaper than a meat-based diet. People of color disproportionately self-identify as vegetarian and disproportionately are victims of factory farming’s brutality.

According to Foer, the death of meat consumption is inevitable. Americans need only "cross the threshold" to the future.

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But for some, a reduction in meat consumption would suffice, despite Foer's arguments to the contrary. According to herpetologist and conservation biologist, David Steen:

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And for many, the "end of meat" is a nothing short of delusional. As Congressional candidate, Errol Webber puts it: